6,5mm caliber 1871 Mauser- A well traveled oddity

[jmoore]

I don't have a lot of background on this rifle, but thought it interesting enough to keep. So, time to share a little:

Born in Germany as an 11mm blackpowder cartridge rifle.
It then moved to France, where it got a make-over into a 6,5mm caliber smokeless powder rifle.
Round design courtesy of the French Navy and a M. Daudeteau. Finest French bayonet adaptor included! 'Verr-ah Nyiz-ah'
Then off to Uruguay, for a short working stint of but a few years.
Years and years of quiet, and then off to the "States" for retirement.

It's time for a little exercise, and a bit of the spotlight.

So, here's, ummm, well, I don't know rightly what it's proper name is...!!!



















Who can fill us in on historical details? Or shooting reports? Reloading?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[RCS]

You can buy the cartridge cases and reloading dies from Buffalo Arms, some use 45-70 and others use 7.62Rmm Russian to form these 6.5 Daudeteau cartridges (there may be some chamber variation). These are not really rare but interesting and on other forums, the owners claim that are accurate at 100 yds. The bayonet is worth more than the rifle ! Cartridges loaded at the time the rifle was used in Uruguay ended up being dumped as there were problems - with the cartridges not the rifle. Most sell for anywhere from $300 to $800 depends on where you shop. There is also a carbine and I think, a short rifle? in 6.5 Daudeteau based on the Model 1871

[GUTS]

Very nice rifle, it looks to have a two piece bolt like a Murata 22.

[Patrick Chadwick]

...the inscription on the ring is

SFAP

= Societé Francaise d'Armes Portatives

(approx. "French Portable Weapons Company")

... the French company that made the new design/conversion for the French navy.

[Patrick Chadwick]

The bolt appears to be a normal M1871 bolt. The M1871 bolt head does not have a raised rim to surround the cartridge base, so the change of cartridge would not have required any alteration to the bolt. I think SFAP just rebarreled an 1871 action and fitted a new backsight.

As to the wood: The M1871 was a 3-band rifle, and I see no trace of the step for the middle band, so the wood was not converted from stocks for a full-length M1871. It also seems to be a couple of per cent too long for the 2-band "Jaeger" version of the M1871. So maybe SFAP made new woodwork as well, or had a source of M1871 stock blanks to work on.

As to firing it, before diving into the fun of cartridge conversion, please remember that the M1871 only has ONE bolt lug! NO safety lug!

Quite apart from the obvious need to load as lightly as possible with a very slow powder, keeping the ballistics down to almost a black-powder trajectory, there is the "banana" effect of the load on the single side lug and the resulting sideways barrel whip on firing which can ruin any potential accuracy. Please refer to my other writings on the Mauser M1871 for more on this topic.

As to possible cartridges cases for conversion - the Russian 7.62x54R has already been mentioned as a plausible candidate. At one time, because of restrictions on using military cartridges, the Finns developed a number of "wildcats" to be able to utilize ex-military material, and one of these was a 6.5x54R - nothing more than the well-known Mosin-Nagant cartridge case necked down for 6.5 bullets. If you can get cases or dies for this unusual combination, then it might be a usable first approximation for the Daudeteau. But in using any nitro cartridge with a BP action, you bear all responsibility for the results!

[jmoore]

I knew this rifle would get a rise out of Mr. Chadwick!

I've had it probably four or five years and have only seen one other. No progress one actually shooting t in all this time.

A bayonet would be super. It isn't the same as a Lebel, then?

[Patrick Chadwick]

It isn't the same as a Lebel, then?

Now I know you're trying to wake me up

Patrick

[vintovka]

Thought I'd add a bit of odd "history" about these before i'm defunct. Several thosusand of these were sold in the late 60's and early 70's as decorators here in N. CA. The furniture store called Scofields (also recemtly defunct) sold them for around $15-20. Many had the firing pin clipped for safety but were otherwise in like new condition. You may want to check yours. Some carbines were available too and were made from K71 retianing the belt bolt and K71 markings. STill have one of each and exactly one round of ammunition made from 7.62x54. The fellow who made it (also defunct) said they shot well and were very flat shooting. There is a reference somewhere that these were considered as easy to train new recuits due to their mild recoil and accuracy. I've seem them made into floorlamps wall decorations, .22s, and even a muzzleloader. During the "shotgun news" only days many heated fights raged when sold as 71 mausers, Strangely the brass handled bayonet is worth much more than the rifle and rarly seen although asian copies seem to show up from time to time

[TNT1943]

Sometimes called Mauser-Dovitis. I have one of the K71 conversions. It seems to me, Buffalo Arms lists two cases for the 6.5x53.5 No 12, depending on whether it is an "original" or a Mauser conversion. Difference in bolt faces ?